A Windham man who police say shot his wife in the couple’s home last week has been charged with murder.
Maine State Police arrested Noah Gaston, 33, Friday night and charged him with killing his wife, Alicia Gaston, 34, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. Police said Noah Gaston shot Alicia Gaston with a shotgun just before dawn on Jan. 14.
Noah Gaston called 911 about 6:15 that morning to report that his wife had been shot. The couple’s two daughters – ages 9 and 8 – and son, 2, were home at the time. The children are now staying with relatives, McCausland said.
Police quickly identified Noah Gaston as the shooter, but continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death, saying that they interviewed Gaston and that he was cooperating with the investigation.
He was arrested Friday night in Kingfield, where he was visiting his mother, McCausland said. Gaston was taken to the Cumberland County Jail, and McCausland said he will make his first court appearance in Portland on Monday or Tuesday.
The Gastons lived for several years on Flaggy Meadow Road in Gorham and were house-sitting at the Windham house temporarily, said a neighbor who lived next door to them in Gorham.
Neighbors at the apartment complex in Gorham said Alicia Gaston home-schooled her children. An online resume posted by Noah Gaston showed he recently worked at the New Morning Natural Foods market and cafe in Biddeford and had previously been executive chef of the 91 South restaurant in the PineCrest Inn in Gorham.
The family was said to be active in a church and drew friends from the congregation. Facebook pictures showed the couple hiking in New Hampshire and happily embracing their children.
Cumberland County court files showed no record of domestic violence involving the couple.
Alicia Gaston’s family didn’t respond to a request for comment Friday night after Noah Gaston’s arrest, but had expressed their sadness after the shooting.
“She was a loving mother who stayed home with her children, provided a life filled with incredibly creative experiences for her family daily,” the family said in a statement. “She was also a wonderful sister, caring daughter and supportive friend to many. We are all in disbelief at the circumstances surrounding her death.”
A gofundme page was set up last week to help support Alicia Gaston’s family. The page had a goal of $3,000 and $7.500 has been raised by 95 donors as of Friday.
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